COFFEE TIME!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqLmALtHZJ8As5Q6G770NRLpiIGSNbavNsCsLjGOk-NWWYVOVo43tn9O-6Dqtq5mVaLMz-cH1hCUDi-XCRC_xJmUbBI3pDxwCtwAsFxeGPIpuhRwVvKA99VdOWBYKKQ0VE5Tlg7_p9DYD/s1600/cwb_coffee_cup%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqLmALtHZJ8As5Q6G770NRLpiIGSNbavNsCsLjGOk-NWWYVOVo43tn9O-6Dqtq5mVaLMz-cH1hCUDi-XCRC_xJmUbBI3pDxwCtwAsFxeGPIpuhRwVvKA99VdOWBYKKQ0VE5Tlg7_p9DYD/s320/cwb_coffee_cup%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although Vincente Minnelli's 1945 musical <b>Yolanda and the Thief</b> is not one of his or Fred Astaire's most popular films, it contains a jewel of a musical number that has earned raves from day one...<i>Coffee Time</i>...</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the film was released, none other than stuffy Bosley Crowther, critic for <i>The New York Times</i>, was impressed: "...a rhythm dance, done to the melody of Mr. Freed's <i>Coffee-Time</i>, puts movement and color to such uses as you seldom behold on screen."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More recently, Stuart Klawans of <i>The Nation</i> was even more enthusiastic: "Minnelli puts Astaire and Lucille Bremer into the midst of a mad pulsation of dancers in mocha and cafe au lait costumes...the chorus swirls; the camera swirls; the gringo-Latin rhythms shift giddily...<i>Coffee Time</i>  is heaven itself, and a warm-up for the 18-minute ballet that Minnelli and Gene Kelly would create in <b>An American in Paris</b>."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Coffee Time</i> is the reworking of an earlier tune by composer Harry Warren called <i>Java Junction</i>. His collaborator, producer/songwriter Arthur Freed, created new lyrics for the updated melody. In the film, the routine begins as a captivating contrast in rhythms, with the orchestra playing in 4/4 time while the dancers dance in 5/4 time. The number goes through a series of variations and ends up a full-blown swing number showcasing Astaire and Bremer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <i>Coffee Time</i> sequence is a fiesta for the eyes. Costumer Irene Sharaff developed the stylized combo of costumes and decor. She created coffee-colored outfits for the extras and, to set off the costumes, devised a pattern of rolling black and white lines on the dance floor that form an optical illusion. With Fred Astaire, choreographer Eugene Loring came up with a dance based on slow jazz rhythms. Minnelli's lighting and camera work added the finishing touches.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch <i>Coffee Time</i> here - </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RrtyKQsVooI" width="420"></iframe></div>

Arthur Freed Eugene Loring Fred Astaire Harry Warren Irene Sharaff Lucille Bremer The Lady Eve (author) Vincente Minnelli Yolanda and the Thief COFFEE TIME!

Although Vincente Minnelli's 1945 musical Yolanda and the Thief is not one of his or Fred Astaire's most popular films, it contains...

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